


The Ring Series # 1 Christmas Eve

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Established Relationship, Holiday, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-21
Updated: 2006-03-21
Packaged: 2019-02-02 14:30:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Daniel has a gift for Jack. Some big decisions are made about their future.





	The Ring Series # 1 Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

DANIEL

It had been a hectic day. December 24 always was, I guess. We'd had to stay on base the day before until pretty late, and so we never got around to the real preparations for our Christmas party and dinner until that day. While I made the run to the grocery store for all the food, beer and wine we'd need for Christmas dinner, Jack had been hard at work on his house, doing his best to get it into shape for our guests. The place never was really that much of a mess, since he kept it up pretty well. But still he wanted it to look the best it could, so I knew he spent a lot of time making sure everything was clean and picked up. The whole gang from work was coming over for Christmas dinner. Even the General was going to come by for a while. And Janet would be bringing Cassie. Jack's house always seemed to be the place everyone wanted to gather for the holidays.

By late afternoon everything was pretty organized and as ready as it was ever going to be. Jack's tree was beautiful this year, sitting in the corner of his living room between the fireplace and the big windows. It almost touched the ceiling. We'd worked hard decorating it with lots of multi colored lights, ornaments and strings of garland. With the lights off, and a fire blazing in the fireplace, it all looked beautiful. There were lots of presents under the tree. 

We lived such a hectic life, with such an irregular schedule, both of us had started buying and wrapping our gifts back in October, stashing them away in the closet of the spare bedroom. Now, arrayed under the tree, they made the picture complete. 

I always liked Christmas Eve, when all the work and preparations are finally done, and there's nothing more you could or need do. It was an evening for just being together and quiet celebration and anticipation.

After a simple dinner, Jack and I put on our coats and boots and went out to his truck. As we put on our seatbelts and adjusted the heat, we just sat there for a minute, looking back at his house. We'd put a lot of multi colored lights in the bushes around it, and it had been snowing pretty heavily most of the day. Now the lights shone from under the snow with a soft glow. It was almost magical. The red, green, blue and golden lights looked like gemstones. 

Jack and I exchanged a smile and I reached out for his hand. "Wow, Jack. Can you believe the snow? How often do we get a white Christmas like this?" 

He wasn't looking at the house anymore. He was looking at me, a soft smile playing around the lips I loved so much. It was quiet in the truck with just the sound of the heater and the muffled rumble of the diesel engine. I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, and then pulled back a little to watch that smile again, my eyes about three inches from his. Loved that smile. I knew I had put it there, and I liked that feeling too. 

"How often have I had a Christmas with you there? I mean, really there, like now?" he asked me. His voice came out just above a whisper so that I could barely hear him.

My big rugged Colonel was just a mush at heart, and I knew it. He hollered and complained and whined and made the tough decisions while on duty, but when it was just he and I alone, he reverted to sappiness about 98 percent of the time. I always found that it was catching, and I ended up being reduced to the same silly state. 

We were in love, and if we were giddy and foolish and mushy, well so be it. We'd spent years as best friends, and now that the difficult decision had been made to become lovers, neither of us wanted to miss a minute of the wonders that had opened up to us in our new relationship. The last five months had been the happiest days of my life, and I knew he felt the same way.

"Love you, Jack," I told him simply. He nodded back at me, his dark brown eyes looking black in the dim lighting. 

JACK

*Just look at him sitting there*, I thought to myself. He had on that pale blue turtleneck sweater I liked so much. It was soft and warm, and the same color as his wonderful eyes. The navy coat he was wearing looked almost black in the darkness of the truck. The lights around the house were reflected in his glasses. His hair was all tousled from the walk to the truck in the snow and wind, and he was so beautiful he took my breath away. Like always.

I reached out and put a hand softly on his thigh and rubbed a little circle on the cloth of his jeans. He covered my hand with his. We sat there like that, smiling like the two fools we were. And I was amazed all over again that this man loved me. He was the biggest Christmas gift I had ever received, or ever would. He'd even made me try to believe in God again, something I thought never would happen after everything I'd been through, everything I'd seen. Surely the creator of the universe himself, whoever he was, or is, had made this Daniel of mine. And he'd given him to me, as a kind of sacred trust. I was humbled and ecstatic and so in love I was literally a fool. A fool for love. And I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I had someone who had taken my head and heart and set my whole world on tilt. I felt my heart overflowing with gratitude all over again.

"Danny..." I breathed. It was still cold in the truck, and I never noticed. The warmth in his eyes, the love and acceptance he gave me every single day, warmed every fiber of my being.

He laughed a little, giving me his biggest smile. "I know, Jack... But if you don't put this truck in gear and get us moving, we may never leave." He pushed at my hands a little, trying to put them on the steering wheel. I still couldn't get my eyes off him.

"Jack... we'll be back here in a couple of hours." 

I nodded at him. Reluctantly, I put the truck in gear and backed out of the driveway. The four-wheel drive made it a cinch to manage the snow. But I drove slowly, getting a feel for the conditions, reluctant to do anything stupid and start sliding around. I glanced at Daniel one last time and found him looking at me still.

"Danny..." I murmured again.

*Wow. What a lucky bastard I am.*

DANIEL

*Look at him sitting there*, I thought to myself. Jack was all mine. The wonder of that fact filled me with amazement, like it always did. Nothing in me wanted to be driving down the street right then. I wanted to tell him *Jack, forget it, we can make our apologies later for not showing up, let's just go back inside and make love, I can't wait another minute*. But we were trying to at least act like adults, do what others expected of us, so down the street it was. 

He loved his big black macho truck, and I could see why. It's him, embodied in a heap of metal and wires. Fueled by massive amounts of testosterone, but easy on the eyes. Makes deep rumbling sounds, but when you climb inside, you find yourself surrounded by the comfort of leather, soft music, warmth and comfort. Just like my Jack. 

He had on that red cashmere sweater I love so much. Black turtleneck underneath it. The ever present black leather jacket and black jeans. I can see the silver in his hair in the dashboard lighting. 

I can't take my eyes off him, and suddenly he's looking back at me. Saying my name again. God, we are in love, and it's the most marvelous, silly, majestic, crazy thing either of us has ever had in our lives.

We were heading to church, of all places. I think 'of all places' because it's one place we've never been together in all the years of our friendship, all the months of our partnership.

Jack and I had gotten acquainted with a couple of kids who lived next door to him. We were out running one day and stopped to pat a dog that we found standing there with no collar or leash. Jack loves dogs, says they're the best people he knows, so we just had to stop, of course. Breathing hard, leaning over with our hands on our knees, while he tried to pat the dog and talk to it. 

Soon the kids, two boys about 8 and 10, came running up, looking for the dog, and Jack had to talk to them, too. He loves kids. He loves to get down on their level, lean down or sit down or something, and just talk to them. When I watch him do that, I see so many layers of the real Jack that he doesn't let most people see. And I love that too. 

So anyway, we talked to the kids, introduced ourselves, and the next thing we knew the kids' mom appeared, breathless from running after them. Her name was Sue, the kids were Andrew and Timothy, the dog was Jack. JACK?? Oh my God, that was too funny. We all had a laugh that day. And I guessed we were on the same wavelength or something, because we'd all become pretty good friends since then. The kids love to come over to Jack's and look at his medals and watch his big TV, play video games, and eat on Jack's endless supply of snacks.

And we'd been to their house for dinner; to dog sit, and even to baby- sit a couple of times so Sue and her husband Barry could escape for a while. Who knew that crusty old Jack O'Neill could baby sit? But he could, with the best of them. 

Barry and Sue were regulars at their church. They'd invited us to go with them many times, but we'd always turned them down. Now it was Christmas, and the boys were going to be in their Sunday School pageant. Timothy was going to be Joseph, and Andrew one of the shepherds, and so we'd accepted this invitation. I got the feeling that Jack was really looking forward to seeing the boys in their little play. And so was I, truth be told.

We went down the near-empty streets, heading into town and the church. The snow was coming down pretty heavily still, apparently keeping a lot of people at home. We didn't have far to go, and I knew that even with the slow driving, we'd be there shortly.

It was quiet in the truck, and I was feeling relaxed for the first time in at least a week. Yes, this was all going to be fine. As long as I was with Jack, all was right in my world, here on earth, or half way across the galaxy. He was my home, my center, my destiny. I looked over at him again, watched him control the big truck with ease, concentrating on the snowy road. 

*Wow. What a lucky bastard I am.*

JACK

It was warm inside the little church. It was decorated with lots of poinsettias and candles and garlands. I hadn't been inside a church since I was a kid, when my Mom and Dad made me go to mass at least a couple times a month. As an adult, I guess I just left it behind, like I did all of the stuff of my childhood. But they say you never really forget, and as we made our way down the center aisle, looking for Barry and Sue, somehow it felt right to be there.

My eyes took in the large cross on the front wall, the altar area, the decorations, and all the people who were so obviously happy and glad to be there too.

My hand was lightly resting on the small of Daniel's back, and I was almost overwhelmed with the warmth of our being together, now as always. I was aware of people looking our way. I know we are an unusual looking couple. My being older and usually so stern and serious looking, and Daniel's startlingly good looks and open friendliness, and even, I suppose, the glowy love we exude wherever we go, all combine to make people stare and probably wonder about us. And I always wonder if they are envious. *As well they should be*, I thought to myself.

We found my neighbors, and they'd saved seats for us, so we got settled, and exchanged "Merry Christmas" with those around us. Yup, they were all a friendly bunch. And I was really feeling glowy now. I wondered, should I start wearing a sign that said "I'm in love with him", you know, with a big arrow pointing to Daniel? Nah, not necessary. Anyone with eyes in their head could tell. I could get used to this feeling of contentment. And wanted to, after all those years of being alone and trying to control everything in my life. No, this was the life I wanted now. Nothing more, nothing less.

When the lights went down in the church and a hush fell on the people there, I felt a little rush of anticipation. I reached over to hold Daniel's hand and was rewarded with a little glance and smile and a warm squeeze of my fingers. A woman stood up in the front of the church and began a wonderful rendition of "O, Holy Night", accompanied by someone on the organ. "...oh, night divine...oh, night when Christ was born..." I hadn't heard that song in ages. My mom had loved it, I remembered. It brought me back to the Christmases we all had together so many years ago, back in Minnesota, before my life had brought so many changes. 

While she sang "Silent Night", all the kids starting coming up the center aisle to take their places in the front. Yes, there was the angel, Joseph (Timothy) and Mary, carrying baby Jesus, lots of shepherds (yes, there was Andrew), three Kings and some other smaller angels. Probably 25 kids all together, all in their costumes and on their best behavior. 

I couldn't help smiling. Kids are the best. They tell the truth. They are basically good and uncorrupted. They are funny and just plain wonderful. And now in this place, at this time, my heart was full as I looked at them.

They told the simple story about the star in the East, the angel speaking to the shepherds, Mary having her baby in the stable because there was no room in the inn, and the kings arriving bearing gifts. We sang "We Three Kings" and "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem", songs I hadn't sung in nearly 40 years. Somehow, the years fell away as I sang. I could hear Daniel beside me, singing in his clear tenor, and I wondered if he'd ever sung those words before. He looked like he was having a great time. I knew I was. Thank God we'd said yes to Barry and Sue when they'd invited us.

DANIEL

Jack was happy. He exuded contentment and joy. And that made me feel contented and joyful. I don't think I'd ever seen him like this. Believe me, I wasn't questioning it. And wouldn't. Ever. Jack needed this like a thirsty man in a desert.

He'd been dry when we started our relationship. Emotionally used up and desperate. I guess I'd been too. In the months since we'd become life partners, we'd both worked hard to fill each other's emotional 'tanks', desperate with a longing that came from hard years filled with loneliness, fear and yearning for something more. 

Our work was demanding and dangerous. We risked our lives every time we went through the gate, and I know as our CO, this weighed heavily on Jack's mind and heart. All I knew now was that I wanted to fill him up, protect him for a change, like he'd always protected me, and just be with him 24/7. That last part was not always possible, unfortunately, but we did the best we could. And now, in this moment, this was all that mattered. He was here, and so was I. Life was good.

I had a gift for him in the pocket of my coat. I hadn't been able to bear leaving it back at the house. I'd bought Jack a ring, and I knew later when I gave it to him, I'd have some important words to say to him. He and I weren't big on words. Hell, I had a PhD in linguistics, but when Jack and I were together, many times it was just, "love you", and "what?" and "you know..." followed by "yes, I know..." We laughed about it sometimes. He and I were almost always on the same wavelength, in spite of my occasional frustration and his more than occasional tantrums. And when we weren't, well, that just made making up later all the more fun.

At the end of the little service, the pastor and his wife stood up, each holding large lighted candles in their hands. He said a few words about how we would each be lighting the little candles we'd been given by passing the flames from one to another. He told us we should think about doing this in our everyday lives, passing the light we had been given to others, lighting up their world the way ours had been lit. This made me smile to myself, and I felt like my thoughts about Jack and I, and how we'd been illuminating each other's lives, fell right in line with his words. 

At the end of the service, all of us had our candles lit, and we stood to sing "Joy to the World". The church was filled with triumphant voices, and I could see the smiles of those around me. When we finished, the pastor gave us his blessing.

The lights came up, and we all blew out our candles and turned to the others around us to shake hands, hug and wish each other a happy holiday again. I noticed that Barry and Sue were smiling at Jack and me. 

They leaned over to grasp our hands. "We are so happy you could come and see the kids tonight," Sue told us. 

She didn't realize the gift they'd given us both by including us in this family time. I knew that I would never forget this night, even as I knew that there would be even more memories made back at Jack's house later. So we smiled at them and said our thanks.

Everyone reached for their coats and started to move out into the aisles. I caught Jack's eye again, and I couldn't tell who was happier, him or me. We had that goofy, glowy look again. I slipped my arm around his waist for a moment and gave him a little squeeze. As usual, we didn't need words to make anything more understandable. We just knew.

JACK

We waited a few moments until Timothy and Andrew made their way through the crowd to their parents. I wanted to tell them what a great job they'd done. They were such cute kids. I always thought of my Charlie when I was with them. In a good way, no pain there. I missed Charlie, and knew I would every day of my life. Had he still been with me, he'd have been 18 years old. But because he'd died when he was 10, when I thought about him, he would always be 10. 

I hunkered down to their height as they came up to Daniel and me. Impulsively, I hugged Timothy around the neck, then reached out my other arm and hugged Andrew too. They hugged me back, grinning just like me.

"You guys were awesome! Thanks so much for having Daniel and me come to see you!! Merry Christmas!" I told them. God, I wanted to kiss them. Isn't this what Christmas was all about? 

Daniel got hugs, too. He patted them on the shoulders and I could see him smiling at Sue and Barry. The six of us just stood there, basking in the delight of the moment. 

"Thanks again, you guys. We're going home now. We hope you'll have the best Christmas ever," Daniel told them all.

I leaned down to the boys again and in a stage whisper, said, "And I hope Santa is real, real good to you two." They shook their heads and smiled. They were way too old to believe in Santa, and we all knew it, but on a night like this, it was okay to joke about it.

DANIEL

With a last wave and smile, we left them there and headed out into the snow again. 

I could feel the little box with Jack's ring in my pocket.

I reached out for his hand, and we walked that way in the dark back to the truck. 

We pulled into Jack's driveway a few minutes later, glad that the snow plow guy had been there to push most of the snow off to the side, onto the lawn. Jack slipped the truck into park and killed the lights, leaving the truck running for the heat. We both took our seatbelts off. There was still a glow of light falling on us from the decorations around Jack's house. My house now, also. Just like my loft was not just mine, but his too. 

He turned to me, twisting around in his seat a little to face me, so I did the same. As always, our hands became entwined, and we kissed, something we'd been dying to do all evening. Jack has such soft lips. They look firm and tough, but they kiss warm and sweet and giving. Kissing is one of our favorite activities, one we do whenever we can, wherever we can. And this kiss held so much promise, so much love and yearning, it was like I'd never kissed him before. Something had changed for us that night. I pushed all concrete thoughts out of my mind and just enjoyed the feeling of my love as he kissed me like he never wanted to stop.

I pulled one of my hands away from his and caressed the back of Jack's head, touched the nape of his neck and ran my fingers down the side of his beloved face. No wonder we didn't need too many words. With a lover like Jack, touch and exchanged looks spoke volumes. He could have given a graduate level course on the language of love. I could give him his own PhD in Love Linguistics, for cryin' out loud, given to him by the University of Daniel Jackson. I smiled at him again.

"What?" I asked him softly.

"Oh, nothin'... It's just that I am in love with the most beautiful human being God ever created, that's all. And you ring my chimes, Dr. Jackson." He gave me a soft little laugh. He looked like the proverbial cat looking at the proverbial canary. And I knew who was going to be the canary...and real soon.

"So, Colonel O'Neill. Shall we?" I indicated his waiting house.

Yup. We shall. Jack quickly shut off the truck, and we climbed out to go inside.

JACK

It was warm and cozy in the house as we entered. We stamped the snow from our boots and brushed at our hair and coats. We left the boots at the door, and took off our coats and put them on the hooks by the door.

Suddenly, it was Daniel and I, alone at last, with a whole lot of evening delight ahead of us. I pushed him against the wall and kissed him like I had out in the truck. Except this time I let my hands roam around a little under his sweater, delighting in the firm body I knew so well and never got enough of. He whimpered a little in his throat as my tongue found his, and I knew he was heating up just like I was. What a sexy, sexy man. And all mine. All mine.

He pushed me away half- heartedly, his palms flat on my shoulders. 

"Jack..."

I just pushed in again, my lips never wanting to leave his. I wanted to hear him growl at me, moaning in his throat in the way I loved. I wanted him to want me like I wanted him, now. And forever. But now for sure. I put my arms around him and tried to get even closer.

"Let's make love, Daniel. I don't want to wait another minute..." I murmured into his ear. I felt a shiver run through him. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him. He always did. 

"Jack, I need to say something first," he told me. "I have something I wanna give you... I want to make love too, you know I do..."

I looked into his eyes and could see the truth of that. His pupils were almost completely dilated in the dim light from the Christmas tree, and I knew the look he was giving me so well. Suddenly my knees felt weak. I had to lean against him just to prop myself up. The man always turned me into butter, inside and out. I never could refuse him anything, and he knew it. 

I groaned, but smiled at the same time. I would be anything, do anything, and give him anything, to keep him happy and looking at me like this. I heaved a big sigh and stepped back from him about one inch, just so he'd know that whatever he had planned, it was okay. He knew I would wait for him for half a lifetime if I had to. A few minutes, or an hour or whatever, was doable. 

His voice came out low and husky. "Thanks, Jack. Have I told you in the last three minutes how much I love you? Je t'adore, mon p'tit choux.."

*Ah, God, Danny, speak French to me. And you want to wait how long?*

"You are killing me here, Daniel. You know that, right?" I grinned as I said this. "What a way to go..."

Finally I step back from him in earnest. I didn't know what he wanted to say, what he wanted to give me, but he was giving me all green lights, and I trusted him with every molecule of my being. 

"Get me a Pepsi, will ya? I'm going to go stoke the fire, and we can talk in the living room," Daniel said. 

A Pepsi? The man wanted a Pepsi. All right, that was easy enough. I left him to head for the fireplace. I zipped into the kitchen, grabbed him a Pepsi and a beer for me. 

The fridge was packed with food and drink for the next day. No one would go hungry, that was for sure. Ordinarily, I'd have brought back a snack for us, but I had the feeling this wasn't going to be a time for eating. I was so filled with anticipation on every level. I could barely feel the floor under my stocking feet on my way back to my Daniel

DANIEL

I had slipped the ring box into the pocket of my jeans right before I headed for the fireplace. The coals were still glowing and just needed a couple of new logs put on them and a poke or two to get the fire going really well again. I closed the glass screen doors, and was just sitting down on the floor with the fireplace and the tree right next to me when Jack appeared with our drinks. I accepted the Pepsi from him and patted the floor beside me.

"Sit down here with me," I told him. He seemed happy to oblige, and had that contented cat look on his face again.

God, he could be a smug, self- satisfied looking character when he wanted. He floated my boat, though, in every way. There wasn't one thing about him that I didn't either love to death or tolerate good- naturedly because well, Jack was just--- Jack! 

"Having fun?" I asked him.

I gave him a look out from under my eyelashes, pretending to be interested in opening up my Pepsi and taking a couple of swigs. When I looked at him like that, his eyes widened a little. Yeah, he definitely wanted to be in another room of the house just now. But I knew he loved me so damned much, he'd wait and wait and wait if he had to. Not that I ever asked him to do that much. No, he also knew me too well, and he knew that my asking him to wait this time had to be important. 

I watched him take a couple of drinks of his beer. He set the bottle on the coffee table beside us, and watched me drink my Pepsi.

"So, Daniel... here we are." He looked around himself, pretending to examine the ornaments on the tree, glancing at the darkness outside the windows, the fire right beside us. Finally I found his brown eyes making contact with mine. Yup, I had him interested all right. And more than a little curious. This was good. I set the Pepsi on the table next to his beer.

"I have something to give you, Jack. I hope you like it." 

God, that was an understatement. I had to tell him some stuff tonight that I'd planned for several weeks. The ring was just an added bonus. I'd had an inspiration to buy the thing, and the rest of what I hoped for tonight mostly hinged on Jack's reaction to what I had to say. For once, we had to get verbal with each other. And it was up to me to start.

I took the ring box out of my pocket so he could see it. It was black velvet, pretty small. Big important things come in small packages sometimes. Not like Jack, who to me was a big important thing wrapped in a big package. I could see him looking at the box, then back at me. 

"This is for you. But before I show it to you, I have to tell you a few things." I stopped and swallowed. 

He nodded, like, *yeah, get to it will ya? You're driving me crazy here. I am so not liking this waiting.*

JACK

*What in hell? He's got a present for me. And what in God's earth is he going to say to me? The man drives me crazy. A short trip, to be sure, but still...*

I could see Daniel swallow again and take a breath.

"I love you, Jack. I am in love with you. You have rocked my world. I used to be sane. I used to have a plan. I had my work and my books and my journals. Yeah, I had people who loved me, and I lost them all. Until I met you and Sam and Teal'c, and General Hammond and Janet and Cassie, until you all became my family all those years ago after I lost Sha'uri, I thought it was just me against the world. And I was okay with that because that's just the way it was. I never thought I'd ever deserve to be really happy again, like I was on Abydos, with Sha'uri and Skaara and Kasuf and all the others." 

He took another breath. So far, this was all stuff I already knew. I'd heard all this from him before. But I could see his earnest expression, and I knew that whatever he was going to tell me, it was important.

"But now I have turned some kind of a corner in my heart, Jack," he told me softly. "I want to make a commitment to you. I want to belong to you. I want you to belong to me. I want to grow old with you."

I could see the tears gathering in Daniel's eyes, threatening to spill over if he blinked. He was biting his lower lip a little, searching for the right words. I could see how badly he wanted me to understand.

"Daniel... I know, my love," I started. He reached out and put two fingers over my mouth, giving his head a little shake.

"No, Jack, you don't. But I want you to. I want you to know that I have decided that what I have with you is forever. And beyond if possible. I cannot imagine life without you in my arms, in my bed, in every place I am. So I've bought you this gift." 

He lowered his head to look at the box in his hand, and I saw a tear escape and run down his cheek. I reached out with a thumb and brushed it away, caressing him gently. My heart was full, like it had been all evening. My Daniel and his words... Lord, he was good with them. I believed every word out of his mouth. How could I not? The way he looked at me then, the sincerity in his face, all set my world atilt all over again. 

He opened the box then, and showed me what was inside. It was a beautiful golden ring. It sparkled in the firelight. 

He pulled the ring out and set the box aside. He still wasn't ready to give it to me, and instinctively I knew to shut up for once and wait. 

"I've never seen you wear jewelry, Jack. I imagine you have a class ring from the Academy, but I've never seen it on you. But your hands..."

He looked at my hands and took my left one in his right. 

"Your hands... your fingers..." he murmured. "They love me in all the right ways. I love to look at them, to kiss them, to feel them on me. And now, I hope you will wear this ring for the whole world to see. I want everyone to know that you are mine, and I am yours. I want this to be a symbol for you to wear. A symbol of our love and commitment. Will you wear my ring, Jack?" 

He stopped and looked at me, poised over my hand.

*He has to ask? Wow, the man is proposing to me. If we could be married, it would be the one thing that I would want more than anything. That's not possible, but right now, in this place, here in our home in front of this fire, none of that matters. He loves me. He loves my silver hair and my lined face and my creaky knees and my bad attitude. He loves everything about me and doesn't want to change me or ever leave me. Wow again.*

A little hopeful smile played around the sides of Daniel's mouth. I could see his active mind turning over. *Yeah, this is getting to him... he's understanding me.* And he waited for me to find my voice.

"God, Danny," I croaked at him. "You know I will wear your ring. Every time I look at it, I'll remember tonight."

I pushed my left hand at him a little. "Will you put it on me?"

Immediately, he started to slip it onto my finger. It fit just right. Just like Daniel and me.

Daniel continued to hold my hand, letting me look at the ring there on its new home. Our heads were almost touching as we looked at it together. 

It was a big chunk of gold, with a square black onyx set into the top. And on the onyx was a gold diamond cut eagle, its wings outspread. The diamond cuttings caught the lights of the fireplace and the tree, and little multicolored sparkles played on the surface of the ring. It was a beautiful thing.

"Why an eagle, Danny?" I said in a little voice.

I never in my life felt like this before, cherished and accepted, by someone with no agenda, someone who just wanted to be with me. Forever. Accepting me and loving me just the way I was. Wow again. The 'wows' were coming fast and furious.

"It's you, Jack," he told me. "You're just like this eagle. Strong and capable and free. Beautiful and unique.

"When I saw the ring, it seemed to holler your name at me, and it just had to come home with me. I bought it back in September. Remember that place up in Denver we went to, with all the artisans showing their work? I sent you for coffee, back where we'd just come from, and whispered to the goldsmith about the ring, and what size I needed and where he should send it. 

"I was worried you'd come back early and catch me, and spoil the surprise. But you didn't. And when the ring arrived two weeks later, and I saw it again, I was still so sure that I wanted it for you. I decided that tonight would be the perfect night.

"And Jack," he told me, "I am more sure now than I was back in the fall. Way more sure."

We studied each other's faces for a moment, eyes roving over the features we knew so well but somehow had never seen in this light before. Daniel looked as serious as I'd ever seen him.

"Something inside me has just melted away," I told him. "I think there was some kind of big wall there. And now you've broken through. I never knew it was there...I'm sorry. I thought there were no walls between us, but I guess there were, on my side. Not on yours. But they're all gone now. I promise."

Finally Daniel kissed me, his lips gently passing over my wet eyes and my cheeks, and then he found my mouth, and I kissed him back. 

Daniel was my love, my life. I needed him so much; I was almost in shock because of it. How could he continue to get more and more fascinating, more and more dear to me every day? I remembered an old saying, and decided to say it out loud to him.

"I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow, Daniel." And his lips were on mine again. He believed me, as I had believed him. 

DANIEL

I took Jack's hand and pulled us both to our feet. I had more to say, but everything else could wait. It was time. That other room down the hall that we had concentrated on so much earlier was beckoning again. 

I took Jack in my arms, felt his arms go around me. We laid our heads on each other's shoulders. We were almost the same height.

We'd always fit together so well. We'd always been convinced that the two of us were just meant to be. 

"Jack," I whispered to him. "I have to ask you one more favor." I felt him nod against my shoulder, waiting. Silent again. 

"Tonight, when we make love, I want to make love to *you*. I want to please *you*. I want it to be a time when I can give, and you can take. Can you let me love you, Jack? Will you let me do this for you? For me?"

A moment or two went by, until I started to wonder if he even understood. I knew I'd hit him with a lot in just a little time.

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I pushed Jack back a little to look him in the eyes. The smug look was long gone. This face was shattered, and I'd done that to him. But I could tell somehow that this shattering was a good thing. A thing of joy, not pain. And I could see the naked need in his eyes. He always wanted me. But now he was plumbing some kind of emotional depths he'd never even known he had. 

"I don't know if I really know what that means, Danny. But if you will show me, I'll let you love me any way you want to. You know that." 

He placed his hand on my cheek, using his thumb to caress my cheekbone.

After a little pause, he said, "But after you show me, can I do the same for you next time?" This last little bit sounded hopeful, and I saw him start to get a grip. A tiny little smile was on his mouth now.

"Oh, yeah, Jack," I told him. "I promise." 

I took him by the hand, and we started for the bedroom and our waiting bed.

JACK

I came awake suddenly and looked at the clock at the bedside. 0400. Daniel looked like he was sleeping the sleep of the dead, poor guy. I knew he'd worn himself out earlier; hell, he'd worn me out too. We knew each other so well, I'd never thought I could be so moved, so affected, by our lovemaking. But, true to his word, he had made love to me from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Literally. Every time my hands went out to him, he'd pushed them away.

"No, Jack," he'd murmured to me, eyes half closed in pleasure. "Not this time. Let me..." 

And I'd let him. God, how I'd let him. Those sounds I'd made were something new for me, coming from some place inside me I hadn't known existed. He'd made me growl and moan and cry and yell. That PhD in linguistics was just the start of Daniel's skills as a lover. He said he knew 23 languages. I thought maybe he'd used about 19 of them on me that night. What a rush. He even made Gou'ald sound like something out of "Romeo and Juliet". 

I slipped out of his arms, making him murmur in his sleep, "Jack..."I reached out and touched his beloved face, running my finger along his eyelashes. He sighed.

I padded to the bathroom, feeling the cold of the room on my bare skin. 

Coming back by the bed, I got some sweats and socks out of the bureau drawer and quickly pulled them on against the chill. 

There seemed to be a lot of light in the room, seeping around the drapes. I went to the window by the bed and drew open the curtains and then the shades as quietly as I could. 

It was clear outside. The snow had stopped, and the moon was full, shining down into the yard and the deep snow lying there. Between the full moon and the reflection of its light on the snow, I felt almost like I was standing in daylight.

I looked down at my new ring on my left hand. That Daniel of mine was some piece of work... he surprised me almost daily, but this had to be the biggest one ever. The ring was beautiful. I would wear it with pride. 

I knew I had some big decisions to make about the two of us. Daniel might not approve of everything I'd already decided, but somehow, we'd make it work. I wanted to be with him, and I wanted the world to know I was with him. The old "don't ask, don't tell" was for the birds. And I didn't mean the eagles, either. For the sparrows, maybe. Or the seagulls, I didn't know. 

Daniel had told me I was an eagle. I knew I had to soar, and I knew that I, we, deserved to be free to feel the joy we had, and share it with others. No more sneaking for Danny and me. That night was the start of something new and wonderful. 

I glanced over at him again, expecting to see him sleeping. But his eyes were on me, and he was just looking. The blankets had fallen down around his waist, and I knew he must have been getting cold. 

"Hey, Daniel," I said to him quietly. "Merry Christmas, love."

DANIEL

I'd actually been watching him for a while. When he'd opened the drapes, I'd heard him and opened my eyes, wondering what was up. I didn't have my glasses on, of course, so he looked blurry, but I could see him standing there in the moonlight. The light was shining on his silver hair. He was standing with one palm against the windowpane. It was his left hand, and I could see him looking at the ring. He turned then and saw me watching him. When he greeted me with that Merry Christmas, I remembered that yeah, it really was Christmas now. I smiled at him sleepily.

"Merry Christmas, Jack. Whatcha doin'?" 

I started to sit up and find my glasses, and put them on my face. Ah, there he was. Clear at last. It was darned cold in the room, like it got sometimes in the middle of the night. 

"Nothing. I went to the bathroom. I noticed the moonlight. Look," he said to me, pointing at the window. 

"Yeah, the snow stopped, huh? That's good. I was wondering if everyone would be able to get here tomorrow if it'd continued much longer." I yawned. 

You want to come back to bed?" I held out my hand to him. 

He looked at me then. He was my lover, my friend, the person I trusted most in my whole world, no matter what life brought me, on this world or any other we'd ever visited. But now I could mostly see the Colonel in him. He was in 'take charge mode'. That surprised me, since it was the wee hours of the morning.

He had his arms crossed in front of him. He looked so tall and imposing, his mouth set in a serious line. But his eyes were warm, and I just waited for a moment for whatever he needed to say or do. 

I put my hand back down on the bed and returned his gaze. 

Finally he spoke. "Are you awake, Daniel? Really truly awake? Last night you had a lot to say to me. And I was glad to hear every word, believe me. You had the courage to say some things that maybe we should have said to each other months ago. I believed everything you said. And now I have some stuff to tell you. And I want you to believe me, too. I need you to believe me."

"Are you okay, Jack?" I asked him. "You look so serious. Do you want to sit back down here and talk or what? And yeah, I'm awake now." 

"No," he told me, finally moving to sit on the bed, just out of my reach. "I'm hungry. Can we go eat something? Let's talk out in the living room again. But let's eat something first." I could see his teeth in the moonlight as he smiled at me. 

Okay, now he had me curious. Same thing I'd done to him last night. Well, turnabout was fair play and all that, I thought to myself. I swung out of bed and went to the closet to find my sweats, and then pulled on my socks. He just waited, and watched me dress.

"You want some cereal or something? How about some Froot Loops?"

Oh, God. Froot Loops. They were like eating crunchy ground up Lifesavers oatmeal. Like candy, swimming in milk. Jack's favorite.

"No, Jack. Do we have anything more adult? Maybe some corn flakes or something?" 

I didn't like them much either, but they were a lot better than those kid cereals Jack liked.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Meet you in the kitchen?"

I came over to him and stood beside him. His arms went around me, and he nuzzled his nose into my chest. I patted his hair down where it was tousled from sleeping, loving the warmth of him next to me, loving the feel of him like always. I leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

He looked up at me then. Serious again. "Yes. I'm more than okay. I'll meet you in the kitchen." 

I leaned down and gave him a quick kiss and went off towards the bathroom.

JACK

Mmmm, the cereal was good. My favorite. Daniel has told me a long time ago that it made him sick to watch me eat Froot Loops, but I just couldn't help it. It was my original comfort food, and still was. How could he eat those boring old cornflakes when there was something like Froot Loops around?

We sat in the kitchen in companionable silence. The only sounds were the crunching of our cereals as we chewed and the clinking of our spoons in the bowls. It was a guy thing, I thought. What was better than cereal and milk in the middle of the night? Well, maybe cereal and milk and your best friend, all at the same time. 

Daniel hadn't pressed me to talk. He seemed content to stuff his face and leave well enough alone. I knew he was sleepy. Daniel didn't do mornings, and this sure qualified as morning all right.

But I knew our company wasn't coming until early afternoon and we'd be able to go back to bed after our early morning snack. I was looking forward to it, as a matter of fact. 

Daniel was drinking the last of his milk from his bowl. Another guy thing. I did the same thing. Of course my milk was pink colored from the Froot Loops, and that made mine better than his. 

We put our bowls down and just looked at each other. Daniel reached for my hand. "Your ring looks good there," he said softly, looking at it on my hand.

"Feels good, too. I was thinking about what you said. You know, about my being an eagle. No one's ever told me anything like that before."

He lifted his eyes to mine and looked at me, waiting to see if I wanted to continue. I did, but not here in the kitchen.

"Can we go back out by the fire? I'll turn the Christmas tree lights back on and get the fire going again. Will you be warm enough?" Daniel just nodded, and we got up to go back out to the living room. 

He sat on the sofa while I fussed with the tree and the fire. Soon there was another roaring blaze going. Its heat and light were welcome in the cold room. I nudged the thermostat up a little and heard the furnace come on in the utility room. No reason to sit and shiver. 

I went to sit beside Daniel then. I pulled the knitted afghan that I kept on the couch over our laps, and we stuck our feet up on the coffee table. We just sat and looked at the fire, our legs and arms touching. The two of us were like a couple of old contented house cats. 

Finally, I spoke into the silence. I didn't look at Daniel, but kept my eyes on the fire, watching it dance and spark, like a life form of its own. 

"I'm scared, Danny." I paused for a moment, to let that sink in, hardly believing I was saying it out loud.

" Have you ever heard me say that before?"

He didn't answer right away. But I felt his left hand come across to grasp my left forearm, and his head went down on my shoulder. Both of us kept our eyes on the fire. I heard him sigh.

"No, Jack, I don't think I ever have," he told me. "You're scaring me a little."

After a moment, I told him, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to scare you. What's scaring me is us. You and me. You and I are doing dangerous stuff when we go through that gate. One of us could be killed and never come home. I don't know if I can do it anymore. I'm scared that if I lose you, I will not make it. I don't know if I could survive it. I'm serious."

"What about me, Jack?" I heard Daniel say softly. "Do you think I could survive if you died? I suppose I could. I lived through the loss of my other loved ones, just like you have. But this would be different. This thing you and I have is like a whole other plane of existence for me. And I think for you too. When I said I wanted to grow old with you, I wasn't kidding."

"No," I told him softly. "I know you weren't. And I want you to know that I've made some decisions, Daniel. I didn't consult you because believe me, I have to do what I have to do. Nothing else will work for me, so it's not negotiable.

"I'm going to retire. On Monday, when we go back to work, I'm gonna hand General Hammond my resignation. I'll work as a civilian consultant somehow, however the SGC can use me, hopefully. And I'll never go back through that gate again unless it's to a place that's already been thoroughly reconned. No more surprises, good, bad or indifferent. No more risks." I paused again.

"And don't hate me for this, but I'm going to ask you to retire from SG-1 too."

Okay, I knew that sounded like a bomb falling. I felt Daniel's head lift from its place on my shoulder. I thought that he really was speechless this time.

DANIEL

*Retire from SG-1*? I wrapped my mind around that idea for a moment or two. SG-1 has been my life for years. Jack wasn't kidding about the danger. If not for the Goa'uld sarcophagus, and Janet's ministrations in the infirmary, I'd have died more times than I cared to count. And he wasn't kidding about the desolation one of us would feel if we were left alone in some tragic accident or battle. 

When Jack retired, Sam could step in as CO of SG-1. They'd find someone to replace her on the team. And I'd known for ages that I really had no business being on a first contact team, now that my Sha'uri was gone. I had stayed because Jack wanted me there. He kept me safe. He watched out for me, sometimes at great peril to the rest of the team. 

If I weren't a member of SG-1 anymore, I'd have scads of work I could do on base, or on protected digs off world. The translation work alone could keep two people busy full time. And helping to supervise all the other SGC archaeologists was consuming more of my work hours all the time. 

I sighed again. I knew Jack had to be wondering if I was angry at his request. 

"Okay," I told him simply.

That got him, I could tell. He twisted around to face me, and took my face in his hands, looking deep into my eyes.

"I'm not kidding, Daniel. I want us to be safe. I want us to live to make old bones, so you can hit me with your cane and holler at me when my hearing aids aren't working." I could see him searching my face.

"Okay," I repeated. "I just want to be where you are. I know the General will reassign me to wherever I want to be in the SGC. I'll just explain to him about us. You're going to retire, so everyone can know about us, right? 

"It's what I want, Jack. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud to belong to you and you to me. I want the whole world to know."

He was as serious as I'd ever seen him. I kissed him then, on his lips, his forehead, his nose, his cheeks. 

"Thank you, Daniel. Thanks for making this so easy for me. I do want to soar like you said I could. I do want to be free. You believe in me, and I want to make everything as right as I can, for you and for me, at work and at home. I don't want to be scared any more. We deserve this, Daniel. We've done our part. We've fought our battles and saved the world more than once. We've faced down those snakeheads and taken terrible risks that no one should have to take. Ever.

"I love you so much." 

I could see the tears in his eyes as his passionate words struck me to the core of my being. I could see his fear now, the fear he'd been trying to hide so carefully from all of us for years. He'd been covering it with his easy banter and jokes, his slightly dense way of looking at things, and sometimes with his anger and impatience. I could see that now maybe he could start to feel stronger and surer about our future. Maybe now we could both put most of that uncertainty behind us.

I thought to myself how weird it seemed to make such important decisions so quickly. Of course Jack had to have been thinking about all of this for a while now. But it sure hadn't taken me long to agree with him and come up to speed. I was ready for these changes, apparently. And they made sense. 

I took Jack's left hand in my two hands and lifted it to press my lips to his palm. I kissed each of his fingers and then turned his hand over to look at his ring again. I touched the ring and twisted it on his finger just a little to watch the play of light on the eagle's wings. 

"I agree to whatever you want, Jack. I want us to be happy. I don't give a damn about anything, really, except you and me and our future. I've traveled the world, and I've traveled throughout the galaxy, and I never have seen anything I cherish more than you. Than us."

Jack looked at me expectantly. God, he looked like the weight of the world had fallen from his shoulders. How could I never have noticed how much his command had weighed on him? I vowed to myself to take better care of him from now on. I'd give him some of his own medicine, and mother him up good. That thought made me smile.

"What?" I heard him say. 

"Oh, nothin'" I tell him. "It's just that I am in love with the most beautiful human being God ever created, that's all. And you ring my chimes, Colonel O'Neill." Jack rewarded me with his biggest smile, remembering his own words to me a few hours earlier out in the truck.

"Oh, and one other little thing," I told him. "Y'see this ring here?" I lifted up his hand so he could see too.

"This afternoon at dinner, with all our friends around our table, you and I are going to make an announcement. About us. And they will all see this ring. And they will all see our arms around each other. And they will all see that we love each other."

I smiled at him. I hoped that all of that sounded as good to him as it did to me. It sounded perfect, in fact. Truth be told, most of them probably already knew about Jack and me. But somehow, announcing it would make it so much better. We would be able to clear the air and go into the future together with love, yes, but also with an open commitment to one another. And we would truly soar like the eagles.

Jack kissed me again. He lingered this time, taking his time. I felt the world drop away, like he and I were the last people on earth. His lips on mine felt like heaven. I wanted to eat him up like a starving man wants a square meal.

"Hey, Daniel. You made me a promise earlier. You said I could have my turn next time we made love. You interested?" I looked him in the eye, and he grinned mischievously at me.

"Gee, I think I can be talked into making good on that promise. So... did you learn anything earlier in...um, class?" I asked him.

The two of us laughed like two kids, and I led us back to our bedroom. Jack and I would be okay. Whatever the future held for both of us, he would have my ring on his finger and my life in his heart.

Finis


End file.
